29 November: Intervention of the KKE in the Parliament On the International Day of Solidarity with the people of Palestine

The KKE expresses its solidarity in practice with the just struggle of the Palestinian people for an independent sovereign Palestinian state, at the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as the capital, by putting this issue forward yet again to the Greek Parliament and to the European Parliament.

In the Question that was submitted to the Greek Parliament, jointly signed by the KKE Parliamentary Group, directed to the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the country, the KKE demands that the Greek government proceed immediately in the recognition of the Palestinian state, implementing a corresponding decision of the Parliament of December 2015, while it denounces the multi-faceted cooperation Greece has with the state of Israel.

In the Question, the KKE members of Parliament note:

“The people of Palestine suffer daily the painful consequences of the occupation of the Israeli state, which uses all means to perpetuate its occupation regime with the support of the USA as well as the EU.

We note the use of military violence against the Palestinian people, numerous murders, even of small children, the systematic creation and expansion of occupation settlements, the retention of the wall in Jerusalem and the West Bank, and more.

In addition, we can mention the 5,600 Palestinian prisoners, including children, elderly and ill along with 13 Parliament members who remain incarcerated in Israeli prisons. More than 1,100 prisoners went on hunger strike on April 17th for 41 days, demanding their release and the immediate restoration of their basic rights.

The KKE has repeatedly referred to the responsibilities of the Greek government and has denounced the strengthening of the political-military relations it has with Israel, which uses these relations as a pretext for the further intensification of aggression against the Palestinian people and the other peoples of the region.

The Greek government is also responsible because despite the decision of the Parliament in December 2015 to recognize the State of Palestine, there continues to be a marked delay,

The KKE demands that the government immediately recognize the Palestinian State. Our party supports the just struggle of the Palestinian people and struggles for: the creation of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state, at the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. The withdrawal of the Israeli army from all the occupied territories of 1967. The cessation of settlement activity and the withdrawal of all settlers settled beyond the 1967 borders. The demolition of the unacceptable wall in Jerusalem and the West Bank. The lifting of the blockade on Palestinians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. The return of Palestinian refugees to their homes. The immediate release of all Palestinians and other political prisoners detained in Israeli prisons.

Mr. Minister, what does the government intend to do:

About the immediate recognition of the Palestinian state, in accordance with the corresponding decision of the Greek parliament in December, 2015?

To cease all joint military exercises and other joint military-political activities with Israel?”

A similar intervention was made on 29/11 at the Plenary Session of the European Parliament in Brussels by KKE MEP Sotiris Zarianopoulos.